Suspected US missile strike kills 10 in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD(Ref:Times of India): Missiles fired from a suspected US spy plane killed 10 people on Friday in Pakistan just east of the Afghan border, a lawless region where al-Qaida militants are known to hide out, security officals said. At least five of the dead were identified as foreign militants, an intelligence officer said. The strike was the first on Pakistani territory since the inauguration of President Barrack Obama, but the latest in a barrage of more than 30 since the middle of last year. Pakistan's pro-US leaders had expressed hope Obama would halt the attacks, which have reportedly killed several top al-Qaida operatives but triggered anger at the government by nationalist and Muslim critics. www.designwalas.com Islamabad routinely protests the strikes in the northwest as a violation of the country's sovereignty, but most observers speculate it has an unwritten agreement allowing them to take place, noting it would be highly damaging to be seen as colluding with Washington in attacks on its people. One drone fired three missiles into the village of Zharki in North Waziristan, hitting two buildings over the space of 10 minutes, the security officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. At least 10 people were killed, they said. Their names were not released. The United States rarely acknowledges firing the missiles, which are mostly fired from drones believed launched from neighboring Afghanistan, but there is little doubt it is responsible. Washington is pressing Pakistan to crackdown on militants in the border, which it blames for rising attacks on Western troops in Afghanistan as well as violence within Pakistan. Earlier Friday, a suicide attack and a roadside bomb killed two soldiers and three civilians in the Swat Valley, a one-time tourist destination close to the border region, officials said. www.designwalas.com Pakistan has launched military offensives in parts of the northwest , but insurgents are making inroads Swat, blowing up schools, killing police and soldiers and calling for the imposition of a hardline interpretation of Islamic law. Militancy in Swat is seen as especially dangerous for Pakistan because the valley lies away from the areas where al-Qaida and the Taliban have traditionally operated. An indication of the difficulties facing the government, more than 1,000 hard-liners demonstrated in the capital, saying there would only be peace in Swat and other frontier regions if the government severs its ties with the United States. ``The lawlessness cannot end until the end of the pro-America policy,'' one speaker told the crowd gathered close to the Parliament building in Islamabad. |
At least five of the dead were identified as foreign militants, an intelligence officer said.
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The strike was the first on Pakistani territory since the inauguration of President Barrack Obama, but the latest in a barrage of more than 30 since the middle of last year.
Pakistan's pro-US leaders had expressed hope Obama would halt the attacks, which have reportedly killed several top al-Qaida operatives but triggered anger at the government by nationalist and Muslim critics.
Islamabad routinely protests the strikes in the northwest as a violation of the country's sovereignty, but most observers speculate it has an unwritten agreement allowing them to take place, noting it would be highly damaging to be seen as colluding with Washington in attacks on its people.
One drone fired three missiles into the village of Zharki in North Waziristan, hitting two buildings over the space of 10 minutes, the security officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
At least 10 people were killed, they said. Their names were not released.
The United States rarely acknowledges firing the missiles, which are mostly fired from drones believed launched from neighboring Afghanistan, but there is little doubt it is responsible.
www.designwalas.com
Washington is pressing Pakistan to crackdown on militants in the border, which it blames for rising attacks on Western troops in Afghanistan as well as violence within Pakistan.
Earlier Friday, a suicide attack and a roadside bomb killed two soldiers and three civilians in the Swat Valley, a one-time tourist destination close to the border region, officials said.
Pakistan has launched military offensives in parts of the northwest , but insurgents are making inroads Swat, blowing up schools, killing police and soldiers and calling for the imposition of a hardline interpretation of Islamic law.
Militancy in Swat is seen as especially dangerous for Pakistan because the valley lies away from the areas where al-Qaida and the Taliban have traditionally operated.
An indication of the difficulties facing the government, more than 1,000 hard-liners demonstrated in the capital, saying there would only be peace in Swat and other frontier regions if the government severs its ties with the United States.
www.designwalas.com
``The lawlessness cannot end until the end of the pro-America policy,'' one speaker told the crowd gathered close to the Parliament building in Islamabad.
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- Satyam Questions Claims of Fudged Headcount
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"As of now, we believe there are 53,000 employyes is subject to verification and auditing," a Satyam spokesperson told PTI and said: "The board has confirmed that prima facie there appears to be no basis to doubt the same."
The new board, constituted by the union government after a Rs 7,800 crore accounting fraud was disclosed Satyam founder Ramalinga Raju, met for the third time in 13 days.
An independent investigation process is expected to reaffirm the head count in the coming weeks, the company said in a statement, while controverting the serious doubts raised regarding the employee numbers by external authorities.
Andhra Pradesh CID had on Thursday informed a local court that Satyam's founder Ramalinga Raju had admitted that employees numbers were inflated by over 12,000, by which he drew over Rs 20 crore a month towards staff costs.
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The meeting of the new board, chaired by Tarun Das, took a number of decisions for smooth business operation, arranging liquidity and assuaging clients. It also announced shortlisting the final three for the post of CEO and CFO and that a final decision would be taken in the next week.
"Robust" collection from receivables helped the board breathe easy, as it interacted with a number of bankers and a decision would be taken in the next few days as to who the banker would be.
Taking note of the demanding financial situation, board member Deepak Parekh said that funding arrangements are in the final stages of being concluded and would be formally announced before January 28.
Parekh also indicated that the immovable properties of the company, including campuses, could be mortgaged to raise funds, saying "they are free of any encumbrance."
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On the hunt for new CEO and CFO, the board said: "This is a crucial decision for the company and its stakeholders."
"We fully recognize the urgency and importance to have the right person with the right experience and abilities (as CEO and CFO) to successfully steer the company through these turbulent times," it said
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The board also said that the company was addressing customer issues and has spoken to two dozen key customers and individuals.
"A few large customers have already visited the company's development centres in India and have expressed their satisfaction on the team's commitment towards their projects," the statement said.
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Satyam's director Kiran Karnik said: "There is a pronounced shift in customer's attitude. From being alarmed in the initial days, it has changed to a sense of cautious optimism. The planned actions will have a distinct impact on the customer confidence."
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